Thursday 30 September 2010 08.45 EDT
First published on Thursday 30 September 2010 08.45 EDT

Whitest insect: Ghost beetle

The ghost beetle is the whitest object found in nature - much whiter than teeth or milk. The beetle's whiteness is thought to be camouflage when set against the fungi it feeds on. It is caused by a dusty coating of pure white, overlapping, minute scales covering its head, body and legs

Longest head: Giraffe weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa)

The male giraffe weevil of Madagascar uses his long head for ritualised nodding competitions to attract a mate. But it is the female's long head that has a practical purpose: it is used to cut and roll a leaf in a cigar shape, into which she lays an egg

Most explosive insect: Bombardier beetle

Bombardier beetles have developed their own explosive defence against predators. Inside the abdominal tip are two sets of paired glands that generate and store in separate reservoirs, the unstable chemicals hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinones . If threatened, the insect can release up to 20 stinging, hot, chemical clouds

Longest larval stage: Golden jewel beetle (Buprestis aurulenta)

At 51 years old, the oldest golden jewel beetle larvae were found in British Columbia – and were still not fully grown. This beetle lays eggs on dying conifer trees and the larvae bore down to feed, normally for two to four years

Most revered insect: Sacred scarabs of the ancient Egyptians

Scarab beetles manipulate a ball of dung and bury it deep underground along with eggs, which feed on it when they hatch. The Egyptians took scarabs to be a symbol of the sun god Ra, with the dung ball representative of the sun being rolled across the sky. They were also linked to the Cheper, the god of creation, because of their seemingly mysterious emergence from the ground

Most misplaced insect: Albin's Hampstead eye (Junonia villida)

This butterfly intrigued and confused naturalists for 200 years – its natural range is Australasia and there is no way a live one could have been captured on Hampstead Heath in London. The confusion was due to mislabelling

A major vector for dengue fever, the aggressive Asian tiger mosquito has been spread from south-east Asia to South America and Africa via the used tyre trade. The tyres accumulate rainwater and it is in these artificial pools that the insect breeds

Strongest human aphrodisiac: Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria)

Its supposed aphrodisiac effects have been well known since the Greek and Roman times and the Marquis de Sade was accused of poisoning prostitutes with a concoction containing Spanish fly. Its oily secretions contain a chemical called cantharidin, which causes prolonged erections but also medical disorders that can lead to death. A dose fatal to humans can easily be supplied by a single beetle

Best example of evolution in action: Peppered moth (Biston betularia)

The peppered moth is a textbook example of evolution in action. In polluted cities, the darker moths are common, whereas in non-polluted woods the paler specimens are found. Britain's anti-pollution laws are decreasing the numbers of trees blackened with soot and the so the moth has evolved to its former, paler self